The Impact Of High-top And Low-top Shoes On The Biomechanical Features Of Lower Limbs

Purpose:This paper is to study the impact of uppers'height on the biomechanic features of lower limbs when the basketball player is doing three kinds of footwork. The author compared different protection provided by high-top and low-top shoes to ankles when the player inverts the ankles accidently. Through the study, the author hopes to provide theoretical support for the designing of basketball shoes and for the players to choose shoes.Methods:Through using Qualysis analysis system and Kister force plate, the author collected kinematic and kinetic data when the player was running, shuffling and cutting. The author also used surface electronic muscle electrode to capture the Electronic Muscle Graph (EMG) signals of lower limbs'muscle. Then, the author compared the two sets of kinematic data, kinetic data and sEMG signals in respect of high-top and low-top shoes.Results:When the player was running at a speed of 4.0±0.3m/s, the maximum, scale and angular velocity of knee flexion, ankle dorsiflexion and plantarfiexion and inversion were the same when the player wore the high-top and low-top shoes. When cutting movement occurs, maximum cushion effect of knee, propulsion of knee and ankle decreased significantly when the player wore low-top shoes. When the player was shuffling, Maximum inversion of knee was smaller when the player was wearing high-top shoes.When the player was running, shuffling and cutting, the maximum horizontal and vertical ground reaction force, maximum changing rate of force and impulse showed no significant difference in the high-top and the low-top shoes cases. Compared with the low-top shoes case, from the touchdown to lift-off of the support leg, the mean of IEMG of rectus femoris muscle was low when the player was wearing high-top shoes; whereas the mean of IEMG of medial gastrocnemius was high. In the ankle inversion experiment, compared with low-top shoes, high-top shoes can reduce the scale of inversion, speed of maximum angular velocity and average angular velocity. When the player was wearing high-top shoes, RMS and IEMG of tibialis anterior muscle, rectus femoris muscle and medial gastrocnemius and the IEMG of lateral gastrocnemius was bigger than in the low-top shoes case.Conclusions:When the player is running at the a normal speed (4.0±0.3m/s), height of uppers has no significant effect on the biomachanic features of lower limbs. When cutting movement occurs, compared with low-top shoes, high-top shoes can reduce propulsion of the ankle, cushion and propulsion of the knee. When the player is shuffling, high-top shoes can reduce the angle of angle inversion. The height of uppers has no impact on the kinetic features of the player when he/she is running, cutting and shuffling. When the ankle inverts accidently at a fast speed, high-top shoes can reduce the maximum horizontal and vertical ground reaction force, maximum changing rate of force and impulse of the ankle.